Locked Up With Michael Vick

 I watched in awe as Michael Vick stunned the football world with his record-setting performance against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football.  Never in the long history of the National Football League has any player ever accomplished what he did on the field during Monday night's game.  His unprecedented performance was inspiring to anyone who watched the game, even more so if you understood what enabled him to rise from the ashes of failure and be given the opportunity to play professional football again.  

I am not speaking of the well documented story of Michael Vick's crime and prison term.  I am speaking of acts that took place during the dark period he spent in prison and the changes he experienced at the lowest point in his life. One of my close friends here in Texas was Michael's roommate when they both were incarcerated at Leavenworth.  He remains very close to him and communicates with him regularly.  Zachary described to me the spiritual transformation that happened in Michael's life during his two years of confinement.  It's an amazing story of God's mercy and grace and how the love of God can reach anyone, anywhere.  After Michael rededicated his life to Christ, God promised him he would return to the NFL and his career would be resurrected.  Very few believed this was possible and gave him no chance of ever returning to the National Football League.  And if such a miracle did take place, almost all believed he would never be the same athlete and superstar he was before he entered prison.

During Michael's first year in federal prison, he was depressed and had little desire to touch a football.  After his spiritual renewal, the desire to play football returned and he took hold of the promises God spoke to his heart.  He prepared his mind and body to be ready for the moment when he would be given the opportunity to act on everything he believed God spoke to him.  

During his second year in prison, Michael took Zachary to the field every morning and had him run various routes and patterns as he threw hundreds of passes.  Following the passing drills, they would spend hours engaged in strength and conditioning training utilizing the prison’s limited equipment.  Michael would not let rain, snow or heat interfere with their daily training sessions.  Zachary told me it was amazing how driven Michael was, how determined he was to rebound from his personal failure and witness God's promises become a reality in his life.  Before each session, they would kneel on the field and pray, giving God thanks and asking Him to restore everything that was lost--his career and his athletic ability.  Michael prayed specifically for his skills and gifts to not be diminished by the period of incarceration.

Upon release from federal prison, the Philadelphia Eagles were the only team interested in Michael.  They knew it was a considerable risk and probable longshot for him to make a comeback.  They took a chance on him because of one man, Head Coach Andy Reid.  Unbeknownst to most, both of Coach Reid's sons had been to prison.  Of all people, he understood the importance of giving someone a second chance.  He promised the owners and management he would work closely with Michael and surround him with the best people.  On his return to the NFL, Michael was the third-string quarterback behind Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb.  He rarely played and his future looked limited.  By the end of his first season back, Michael Vick was forgotten.  Most sports writers had already written his NFL Obituary.

During the off-season, shocking changes took place in the Philadelphia Eagles organization.  Star quarterback, Donovan McNabb was suddenly released and backup Kevin Kolb was named the starter.  Michael was moved from third-string to backup.  In the midst of changes that shocked the football world, I suspect God was silently involved in various events that involved Michael's life and future.  I know some who read this are thinking, "God is not directly involved in the actions of the National Football League.  I can only respond by saying you would be surprised by where God involves himself.  He is not limited to any arena in life.  The book of Proverbs says, "As we plan our course, He directs our steps."  This is one aspect of how God works in all of our lives.  If we could have a glimpse into the invisible realm of our lives and see His acts and actions, we would be stunned and mesmerized by how directly involved he is in our stories.

Michael started this season -- his second since his release from prison -- as the backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.  Once again, no one had any expectation for his season or career.  Then another occurrence happened in the early part of the season that changed everything for Michael; starting quarterback Kevin Kolb was knocked out of an early season game and Michael came off the bench to take over.  His performance startled everyone as he rallied the Eagles to victory.  The following week, he played even better leading Philadelphia to another win, securing the starting quarterback position.  Weeks later, Michael Vick is the top ranked quarterback in the NFL and is the current front-runner to win the league's Most Valuable Player award.

As I watched Michael Vick's performance on Monday night, chills ran up and down my spine and tears filled my eyes.  I understood what an amazing moment this was for him and for the sporting world, a true tale of redemption, of faith, of reconciliation.  But this aspect of the story is not what gave me chills and brought me tears.  There was another part of the story most spectators could not see or ever understand.  You see, most football fans have never sat in prison with all their hopes crushed.  Most have never been through such a disgraceful, humiliating, lonely, and dark experience where they have been separated from everyone they love.  Most have never knelt on a football field locked behind a fence buried in shame and failure, pleading for mercy and grace.  And most have never remained on bended knee on that lonely field--cut off from the rest of the world--believing in promises that seemed ludicrous, praying to an invisible God who spoke those promises.  

The chills and tears came for one reason:  As the world was applauding Michael Vick's performance on the field, I understood the pain he went through and the despair he survived to reach this awe-inspiring moment of personal triumph, of seeing promises fulfilled.  As Michael pointed to heaven after each touchdown, Zachary told me why he was pointing -- he was thanking God for bringing him through the pain and for fulfilling the promises He spoke to him in prison.  And as he pointed, I can't help but think that God was smiling in heaven pointing right back because Michael chose to believe when most had forgotten, when most had given up, when most would not believe.